St. Claude and the surrounding community will be able to enjoy a boost to their health services with the province's announcement of a $2.1 million expansion to the St. Claude health centre to create a new primary care and wellness centre.

The Province is partnering with the St. Claude Community Development Corp. Health Committee to construct a new primary care and wellness centre for the community.

The project is being supporting with the Province's share of $900,000 along with the remainder of the funding provided by the St. Claude CDC.

"We're very excited," said Health Minister Theresa Oswald in an interview with the Herald- Leader Tuesday. "It was so beautiful to be in St. Claude this morning ... with community members and folks from the community organization (who) worked so hard to advocate and fundraise (for the project). We were able to announce $900,000 from the Province of Manitoba going in to match the community's financial contribution to kick off the primary care and wellness centre project."

The new 5,737-square-foot expanded centre will feature a community fitness room; six examination rooms; one treatment room; a consultation room for public-health nurses; and a workroom for home-care staff.

The project came about as the result of a community health needs assessment study and consultation with the communities that will benefit from its services.